Copyright Yardbarker
Bakhram Murtazaliev, the undefeated IBF Junior Middleweight Champion, is reportedly set to travel to box Josh Kelly in the UK in January. The dates being mentioned include the 24th or 31st of the month, as Murtazaliev seeks his first fight since October 2024 when he knocked out Tim Tszyu. That was the first defense of his belt, which he acquired after stopping Jack Culcay in April 2024 for the vacant belt. Murtazaliev has found it hard to unify in the division. Terence Crawford holds the WBA belt, but he had moved up to 168 to face Canelo Alvarez. Meanwhile, the WBO belt is held by Xander Zayas, while the injured WBC champion Sebastian Fundora was meant to face Keith Thurman this month before pulling out with a hand injury. As for Kelly, he has racked seven wins in a row. That means he is now the IBF’s No. 3-ranked challenger. The Brit suffered the only loss of his career against David Avanesyan in 2020, but a win over Murtazaliev would give him that elusive world title. It also opens the door for bigger fights, having previously been linked with Jaron Ennis, as Josh has been with Matchroom before. The Approach Murtazaliev’s game plan centers on constant pressure designed to deny Kelly the space he needs to operate. Murtazaliev will look to cut off Kelly’s escape routes and force him toward the ropes. He will establish a punishing, stiff jab to stop him moving. This will be paired with a dedicated body attack—heavy, draining shots to the ribs, aimed at slowing Kelly’s elusive footwork and ensuring he fades in the later rounds. Kelly’s game plan revolves around neutralizing Murtazaliev’s power and exploiting his aggressive impatience through superior speed and footwork. Kelly must consistently utilize high-volume lateral movement, never remaining stationary for more than a second, and use sharp pivots to turn the champion. Kelly will look to counter-punch, capitalizing on Murtazaliev’s tendency to leave defensive openings when he loads up on his own shots. These clean counters are critical for Kelly to score points.
